San Ginés Church, Madrid, Spain

The church of San Ginés is one of the oldest churches in Madrid. It was one of the churches of the medieval Madrid, of Mozarab origin, from between the 12th and 13th centuries, and its name comes from the fact that it was dedicated to the patron saint of notaries and secretaries, Saint Genesius of Arles (San Ginés de Arlés). it was rebuilt in 1645.

The church is preceded by an atrium enclosed by railings. It has a Latin cross plan, with a nave and two aisles separated by semicircular arches and several side chapels and the altarpieces belong to the Neoclassical-Romantic school. It was, however, totally reconstructed after suffering several fires, so few remnants of the original church, such as the bell-tower, remain. In 1870, the loggia and atrium facing the Calle Arenal were added.

One of the most curious items on display is a stuffed crocodile, which is said to have been brought over from the Americas during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs.

References:

Wikipedia

Religious sites in Spain

User Reviews

Jenny Alwardt (2 years ago)
Reverent and lively mass. Time stood still and the Holy Spirit is present throughout.Baroque art is breathtaking. A rare find.

Gioconda Vidal (2 years ago)
Beautiful Catholic Church Very peaceful and well maintained structure considering the age of the building. This Church is not even a block away from the very popular "Chocolateria San Gines". Beautiful Holy Place ?

David Mapletoft (3 years ago)
Finally! I find it open! Juanjo - hola ?

Judith Farrero i Fargues (3 years ago)
- Siempre unidos eternamente con el - Indiana Club - Forever Together Unions United Family Friends Unrepeatable - By my family of birth united eternal by forever - In Indiana Club - Magdala Club - Hollywood Club - Eight of the March of the Two Thousand Nineteen -

Mahmood Razeghian (4 years ago)
This ancient church is located on the calle Arenal and one of the oldest church in the city of Madrid. I heard that it' has been rebuilt around 1650 .

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright gwpics

Historic Site of the week

Abbey of Saint-Georges

Saint-Georges de Boscherville Abbey is a former Benedictine abbey. It was founded in about 1113 by Guillaume de Tancarville on the site of an earlier establishment of secular canons and settled by monks from the Abbey of Saint-Evroul. The abbey church made of Caumont stone was erected from 1113 to 1140. The Norman builders aimed to have very well-lit naves and they did this by means of tall, large windows, initially made possible by a wooden ceiling, which prevented uplift, although this was replaced by a Gothic vault in the 13th century. The chapter room was built after the abbey church and dates from the last quarter of the 12th century.

The arrival of the Maurist monks in 1659, after the disasters of the Wars of Religion, helped to get the abbey back on a firmer spiritual, architectural and economic footing. They erected a large monastic building one wing of which fitted tightly around the chapter house (which was otherwise left as it was).

San Ginés Church

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Abbey of Saint-Georges